Northwestern
Montana State
Northwestern Hosts Montana State in Tuesday Tilt
11/18/2024 3:14:00β―PM | Men's Basketball
Last time out, Northwestern (3-1) earned a 67-58 overtime win over Eastern Illinois on FridayΒ night (Nov. 15), holding the Panthers scoreless during the extra period. Guard Jalen Leach scored a season-high 27 points and pumped in 17 of the Wildcats final 23 points in the win, including seven of the team's nine points in overtime. With Northwestern down one with 1:03 remaining, he hit a 3-pointer propelling the Wildcats a two-point lead. Leach made 15-of-16 free throws, the most in a game by a Wildcat since Evan Eschmeyer converted a program record 17 free throws on Feb. 27, 1999, against Minnesota. Nick Martinelli posted 16 points and Ty Berry added 10 points. Justin Mullins collected a career-high five steals. Over the last two seasons, Northwestern is 4-2 in overtime games, including a 4-0 mark inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Over the last three seasons, Northwestern has won 47 total games, which ranks third among Big Ten schools, trailing Purdue (67) and Illinois (52). NU has won 24 Big Ten Conference games over the last two seasons, trailing only Purdue (32) and Illinois (25). Northwestern and Michigan State are the only two Big Ten teams to win at least one game in each of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 NCAA Tournaments.
The Wildcats return a conference-high 62.3% of minutes from the 2023-24 season, and rank fifth in the conference with an average age of 21.6 years old.
Junior forward Nick Martinelli has opened the season on a torrid start, averaging 25.3 points, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally, and 7.8 rebounds per game (9th in Big Ten). The Glenview, Ill. product was named Big Ten Player of the Week for the first week of the season when he averaged 29.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 75% from the field. He became the only Big Ten player since at least 1996-97 to average at least 25 points and 10 rebounds per game over the season's first two contests.
Last week, Sullivan-Ubben Head Men's Basketball Coach Chris Collins announced the Wildcats' 2025 five-member signing class, which has been ranked No. 10 nationally by 247Sports, the highest class ranking in program history during the modern recruiting era. The lauded class includes center Cade Bennerman (Nashville, Tenn.), guard Phoenix Gill (Chicago, Ill.), forward Tyler Kropp (Powell, Ohio), forward Tre Singleton (Jeffersonville, Ind.) and guard Jake West (Philadelphia, Pa).
After capturing the 2024 Big Sky Conference Tournament Championship and earning a berth in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Montana State is 1-3 to begin the 2024-25 season, with all three losses coming on the road. The Bobcats narrowly dropped a 79-78 decision on Sunday evening at Denver.Β Brandon Walker leads theΒ Bobcats averagingΒ 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. The Wildcats are 2-0 all-time against the current alignment of the Big Sky.
Northwestern closes outΒ its season-long four-gameΒ homestandΒ with a Friday night contest against Pepperdine on Nov. 22. Tipoff from Welsh-Ryan Arena is slated for 7 p.m. CT on B1G+ and WGN Radio 720.
